Exhibiting Discipline I

 

Phil 3:12, 15-16

 

SUBJECT: Spiritual Progress

THEME: Fulfill God’s purposes as we exercise discipline to run our race. 

RELEVANCE:

We must not allow our behaviors to be unruly, disorderly, disobedient, uncontrolled, disingenuous-not serious, or of embarrassing manners that derail our progress in Christ. To be winners who fulfill God’s plan, we must remain discipline throughout our race. 

INTRODUCTION:

Having seen achievement, we look now at the final ingredient in this formula for spiritual maturity and progress. Discipline is necessary to reach new heights in spiritual triumphs and finally reach the finish line of life as a winner.

Again, we are considering our need to grow spiritually by making continual progress. All of us want to be “winners” and fulfill the purposes for which we have been saved. But what is essential for winning?   

MESSAGE:

THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY OF DISCIPLINE. (Phil. 3:15-16)

ILLUSTRATION:  Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered a very old man proceeding in the opposite direction.

“Who are you?” asked Frederick.

“I am a king,” replied the old man.                                                                                      

“A king!” laughed Frederick. “Over what kingdom do you reign?”

“Over myself,” was the proud reply.

“Reigning” over yourself requires personal discipline.  – John Maxwell

     1.  Note the Extreme Importance of Discipline to a Christian.

 Temperance– Discipline, or Self-control is the ability to resist immediate gratification for the sake of a higher goal– Self Restraint.  (Ac. 24:25; Ga. 5:23; 2 Pe. 1:6).

         A.  Great Christians Always Have Self-discipline—without Exception.

Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

2 Peter 1:6, And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

               1. Discipline is Produced by the Spirit.

Ga. 5:23 shows that “temperance” is produced by the Holy Spirit.

               2. Discipline is Produced by Personal Effort.

2 Pe. 1:6 shows us that it is a product of the Christian growth experience. 

APPLICATION: Therefore, we must diligently invest our hearts and minds to experience a development of temperance throughout the course of our lives by the power of Holy Spirit.  This wonderful quality will solve the Christian’s struggle with emotional outbursts such as wrath, rage, anger, fear, and jealousy and cause us to avoid emotional excesses of any kind. We will have the ability to say “no,” to sinful desires and we will know when to say, “enough” to too much of anything. Thus the Spirit-controlled believer will be consistent, dependable, under control, disciplined, and well ordered.

         B.  Unfortunately, Our Society Seeks Instant Gratification Rather than Self-discipline.

ILLUSTRATION: We want instant breakfast, fast food, movies on demand, phone apps for immediate transactions, and quick cash from ATMs. But spiritual success doesn’t come instantly. Neither does the ability to consistently grow in Christ.

QUOTE:  As General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “There are no victories at bargain prices.”

APPLICATION:   Because we live in a society of instant gratification, we cannot assume that most Christians have self-discipline—that they will be willing to pay the price of greater growth, ministry, and responsibility.

         C.  When it Comes to Self-discipline, People Choose One of Two Things:       

               1. The Pain of Discipline Which Comes from Sacrifice and Growth or     

               2. The Pain of Regret Which Comes from the Easy Road and Missed Opportunities.

Each person in life chooses.

QUOTE:  In Adventures in Achievement, E. James Rohn says that “the pain of discipline weighs ounces. Regret weighs tons.”

Once again let’s turn our hearts to Christ, His Word, and the example of Paul— a Christian who was truly a higher achiever— as he shares more of the secrets to his personal success in growth and development.

     2. Discipline Yourself to Run by the Established Rules.  Vs. 15

Philip. 3:15, Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

It is not enough to run hard and win the race; the runner must also obey the rules. In the Greek games, the judges were very strict about this.

          A.  Beware of Disqualification.

Any infringement of the rules disqualified the athlete.

               1.  Participate According to Established Spiritual Rules.

                     A.  A Disqualified Runner Did Not Lose His Citizenship (Though He Disgraced It).

                     B.  But He Did Lose His Privilege to Participate and Win a Prize.

ILLUSTRATION:   One of the greatest athletes ever to come out of the United States was Jim Thorpe. At the 1912 Olympics at Stockholm, he won the pentathlon and the decathlon, and was undoubtedly the hero of the games. But the next year officials found that Thorpe had played semiprofessional baseball and therefore had forfeited his amateur standing. This meant that he had to return his gold medals and his trophy, and that his Olympic achievements were erased from the records. It was a high price to pay for breaking the rules. (Thorpe's medals were reinstated in 1985 by the Olympic Committee.)

APPLICATION: We should run the race to win the prize, and this means participating by the spiritual rules laid down in this passage. We cannot loose our salvation, but we certainly can loose our reward (1Cor. 3:10-15).  Keep the Lord’s pleasure in mind as you run the race and not your pleasure.

               2. Emphasize the Importance of Obeying Spiritual Rules.

In Phil 3:15-16, Paul Emphasizes the Importance of the Christian Remembering the "Spiritual Rules" Laid down in the Word.

                      A.  The Christian Race Requires Discipline and Self Control.

QUOTE: “This word [self-control] describes people who are willing to get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that will bring them success or failure.”  — John C. Maxwell

APPLICATION:  To be disciplined means that we are “getting a handle on our self” in order to overcome sinful desires, spiritual pride, attitudes of self-reliance, spiritual laziness, extreme self-gratification, past failures and success, and overreacting.

                       B.  Spiritual Growth and Victory Requires Discipline and Self Control.

Therefore, discipline prepares us to fulfill God’s claims and will for our lives as we seek to practice what we have learned from His Word.  Discipline is the ability a person has to rule himself in following the example of Paul in Phil. 3:7-17.  It is the power to say “NO,” to rivaling desires that hinder our progress and say, “YES,” to everything God has outlines for our spiritual progress and success. This is key to our success. 

               3.  Practice Self Control–Discipline– to Remain in the Race.

1 Cor. 9:24-27, Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. [25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. [26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: [27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

This is what Paul has in mind in this passage. The idea is that any athlete who enters a competition prepares himself to win by rigid self-control, strict conditioning, and rigorous training.

                       A.  Spiritual Growth Results from Discipline.  “. . . striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.”

Winning a race requires purpose and discipline. Paul uses this illustration to explain that the Christian life takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation.

APPLICATION:  As Christians, we are running toward Christlikeness and our heavenly reward. The essential disciplines of prayer, Bible study, witnessing, and public worship equip us to run with vigor and stamina. Don't merely observe from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Train diligently -- your spiritual progress depends upon it.

                       B.  Spiritual Growth Results from Self-denial.  “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:”

Any athlete who intends to win will prepare and restrict himself in all things: his diet, his activities, his associations, and probably even his friendships.  The winner knows that he must restrict himself in order to accomplish the ultimate task.

                            1.  At times we must give up something good in order to do what God wants.

                            2. Each person's special duties determine the discipline and denial that he or she must accept.

                            3. Without a goal, discipline is nothing but self-punishment. With the goal of pleasing God, our denial seems like nothing compared to the eternal, imperishable reward that will be ours.

ILLUSTRATION: Tenor Luciano Pavarotti is such a winner. He is often described by his admirers as “the new Caruso.” In a newspaper interview, the six-foot, three hundred-pound tenor asked: “Do you want to know the hardest thing about being a singer? It is to sacrifice yourself every moment of your life, with not one exclusion. For example, if it is raining, don’t go out; eat this, do this, sleep ten hours a day. It is not a very free life. You cannot jump on a horse. You cannot go to swim.”

               4. Play by the Rules in Order to Win the Race.

2 Tim. 2:5, And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

                       A.   If the Athlete Breaks Training, He Is Disqualified.

                       B.   If He Breaks the Rules of the Game, He Is Disqualified.

Only the contestants who compete by the rules will win the crown at the end of the race.

APPLICATION: Each of us as Christians ought to be pressing on toward the goal of Christlikeness and eternal rewards.  As maturing believers, we should understand that we could not, in our own humanity, gain perfection and acceptance by God (Phil. 3:8-10).  Salvation and Sanctification come through faith and dependance upon the Lord.  Yet because of our love for Christ, we willingly pressed on to follow his example in order to become more like him in life, all the while knowing that we are promised that we’ll know him fully upon our death or his return for us in the Rapture. (W. W. Wiersbe)

        B.  Be Aware of Revelation.  Phil 3:15, “. . . God shall reveal”

in order to play by the rules we must turn to the rule book–the Word.  This verse betrays some of the problems that faced the Philippian church.

            1.  God Will Reveal Spiritual Pride.

Spiritual pride had found its way into some of the believers;

                     A.   Apparently a Few Felt That They Had Reached a Holier Status than Their Fellow Believers

                     B.   This Was Causing Them to Look down on Those Whom They Thought less "Mature."

APPLICATION: There is never room for spiritual pride nor a ‘holier than thou’ attitude toward younger and struggling Christians. Spiritual pride is a mark of spiritual immaturity and infancy!  Spiritual maturity is marked by humility and service to others.

Philip. 2:3-4, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. [4] Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Galatians 5:26, Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6:1-2, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. [2] Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

            2.  God Will Reveal Spiritual Maturity.  Vs. 15, “As many as be perfect be thus minded”

                  A.  Notice Some Characteristics of a Faithful Mature Saint of God.

                        1.  They Depend on God!

Paul made it clear that those who were truly mature were those who realized their dependence on God.

                        2. They Determine to Press on!

They pressed on, not to make themselves good enough or to gain credentials by their accomplishments.

                        3.  Their Devoted to Knowing Christ!

Rather then spiritual pride, they pressed on to know their Savior better. This is their goal!

                   B.  The Goal of Every Believer Is Spiritual Maturity.

Col. 1:28, Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

                         1. The Word Perfect Means Mature or Complete, Not Flawless.

                         2. Paul Wanted to See Each Believer Mature Spiritually.

APPLICATION: Like Paul, we must work as wholeheartedly as an athlete, but we should not strive in our own strength alone. We have the power of his Spirit working in us. We can learn and grow daily, motivated by love, not by fear or pride, knowing that God gives the energy to become mature.

                   C.  Jesus Christ Is the Basis and Goal of Spiritual Maturity.

Hebrews 13:20, Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

The letter to the Hebrews is a call to Christian maturity. It was addressed to first-century Jewish Christians, but it applies to Christians of any age or background.

                          1.  Christian Maturity Means Making Christ the Beginning and End of Our Faith.

                          2.  To Grow in Maturity, We must Center Our Lives on Him,

                                 *  not depending on religious ritual,

                                 *  not falling back into sin,

                                 *  not trusting totally in ourselves,

                                 *  not letting anything come between us and Christ.           

                          3.  Christ is sufficient and superior.

            3.  God Will Reveal Spiritual Misconception.  Vs. 15, “Otherwise minded”           

Whatever problem of pride threatened to divide the Philippian church, Paul stopped it.

                    A.  God Will Show and Clarify Matters Concerning Spiritual Growth.

This was the final word on the matter; Paul invoked the illumination of God himself to clarify the truth of his words to those who thought differently. Those who were mature were to be committed to what Paul had said. And to anyone who thought differently about minor points, God would clarify the truth. God would lead them to the truth if they would keep their minds open.

                    B.  Are You Aiming for a Perfect Score with God?

Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and discouraged. We may feel so far from perfect that we can never please God with our lives. Paul used "perfect" (3:12) to mean mature or complete, not flawless in every detail. Those who are mature should press on in the Holy Spirit's power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancy between what we are and what we should be. Christ's provision is no excuse for lagging devotion, but it provides relief and assurance for those who feel driven. (W. W. Wiersbe) 

CONCLUSION:

Hebrews 12:1-2,  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is an exciting experience to run the race daily, "looking unto Jesus" (Heb 12:1-2). It will be even more exciting when we experience all that the “high calling” entails when Jesus returns to take us to Heaven! Then we will stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ to receive our rewards! It was this future prospect that motivated Paul, and it can also motivate us.

Can God Forgive This Sin?

 

Can God Forgive This Sin? 

 1 COR. 6:9-11; 1 JOHN 1:9

SUBJECT: FORGIVENESS/ SALVATION

THEME: God can forgive anyone and everyone who will receive His forgiveness. No individual and certainly no sin is beyond His realm of divine pardon. God is no longer angered over your sin or merely offended by your actions, flaws, mistakes, and sin. He offers forgiveness! 

RELEVANCY:  I can say without any reservations that God wants you to experience complete forgiveness! That is forgiveness of your sins and a full establishment of your relationship to the Lord God, forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and even the forgiveness of yourself.

INTRODUCTION:

A “Limited Forgiveness” Will Never Do. Complete (comprehensive, thorough, all-encompassing) forgiveness is required if you are to know personally and fully that God is your loving heavenly Father, and if you are ever to reach your personal destiny in this life.

I have good news for you today! God will forgive you of your sin. You can be released today from all your sin, no matter what they are, if you will do what God says to do. (Dr. C. Stanley) 

MESSAGE:

I. It is Vital to Understand the Very Nature of Sin.

Psalm 51:5, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Earlier in the message, I defined forgiveness as “the act of setting someone free.” Sin, by contrast, is “the state of being in bondage—in need of being set free.” This state is described in Psalm 51 as the result of transgressions, iniquity, sin, and evil.

A.  WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE WE ARE SINNERS.

Our sinful actions further seal the fact that we are sinners. Our being and doing are cyclical. We may not always admit to being sinners, but deep down inside, we recognize that we are sinners, and we have an awareness that we have sinned or are sinning.

The sinner knows—at some level, intuitive or conscious—that he or she is sinning. Sin involves the will, and because it involves the will, it also affects the memory. We remember our sins. They don't just float by unnoticed or ignored. The psalmist is very open about this: “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:3).

B.  HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE SINNERS OR THAT WE HAVE SINNED? (Rom. 2:14-16)

    1.  God Built into Each One of Us an Alarm System Called the Conscience.

It sounds each time we do something, or are about to do something, that we know is wrong. If we ignore the alarm system, our sensitivity to evil becomes dull, and eventually, we never hear the alarm. Be very concerned if you never hear that still small voice inside you saying, “This is wrong and you know it.” A healthy conscience is something to cherish and to nurture. (Dr. C. Stanley)

    2.  The Flaw in the Conscience, However, Is That it Is Based on Human Understanding of What Is Right and Wrong. Right and wrong are something we learn. Unfortunately, some people are taught that right is wrong and wrong is right. They make decisions and behave in ways that are sinful without having a great deal of regret or remorse. Until, that is, they are confronted with the truth.

The conscience always is pricked to some degree in the presence of the pure expression of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He stands in sharp contrast to all that leads to destruction, is a lie, or contributes to death. In the presence of the gospel, even the most warped conscience is confronted with God's absolutes.

    3.  The Best Thing You Can Instill in Yourself and Your Children Is the Knowledge of the Gospel of God's Word. The best thing you can do to keep your conscience alive is to steep it in the Word of God. If you were taught a faulty perspective of right and wrong, read God's Word without ceasing in order to bring about a transformation in your mind.

C.  BELIEVERS ALSO HAVE A SIN ALERT SYSTEM.

What about believers? Believers in Christ Jesus have a dual alarm system. We have the natural conscience that has been given to every person, and we also have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

   1.  The Holy Spirit Provides Strong Counsel That We Are Acting, or Are about to Act, in a Way That Is Contrary to God's Desire.

The Holy Spirit always points us toward Jesus and to the fullness of the Word of God. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth,” our divine counselor (John 14:15–17; 15:26).

John 14:15-17, If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 15:26, But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

    2.  The Holy Spirit Will Never Quit Speaking to You Once You Have Received Him into Your Life. Your spiritual ears may become dull, but you can never completely silence the Holy Spirit. If you don't feel the Holy Spirit pricking your heart from time to time, you may need to ask, Am I really saved? Have I really received forgiveness from God for my sinful state?

Listen to your conscience and to the Holy Spirit today. He will tell you whether you are in need of forgiveness.

1 John 4:4-6, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. [5] They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. [6] We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

D. THE SINNER CAN FINALLY REJECT GOD’S FORGIVENESS.

The sin that grieves the Holy Spirit today (Eph. 4:30), and that can quench the work of the Spirit in your life (1 Thess. 5:19), is: a refusal to receive the forgiveness that God freely offers to you. You can refuse God's offer of forgiveness to the point that you have a hardened heart. You can become calcified, hardened as bone tissue, to the gospel over time. Hardening causes a disruption in the normal process of the gospel. And that creates an unpardonable state.

God will not reach beyond the boundaries of your own stiff-necked, hard-of-heart will and save you against your will! You can die in an unpardonable state, but it won't be because you have committed an unpardonable sin.

As I stated above, no sin is unforgivable on this side of death. It is equally true that no sin can be forgiven on the other side of the grave.

The only thing that can keep people from being forgiven is the refusal to accept and receive what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross. Refusing to believe in the forgiveness made available to humankind by the death of Christ brings about everlasting death. Accepting what Jesus did on the cross—believing in Him as Savior—brings about everlasting life.

II.  Receive God’s Forgiveness for Sin Immediately.

A.  FORGIVENESS IS YOURS TO RECEIVE—YOU ONLY NEED TO BELIEVE!

John1:11, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13, Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1. Believing on Christ is Receiving Him for Salvation.   

By believing in “his name;” is exercising faith in receiving Jesus Christ as the Word, and Son of God, as the Messiah, Savior, and Redeemer.

So now Jesus offers Himself to you, and if you receive Him, He gives to you the “power,” or the privileged or authority to become a child of God. Only by this means do we become children of God. Beloved, it is not by good works, not by church membership, not by doing your best—but by receiving Him, by believing in His Name.

Becoming a child in a physical sense, is a matter of birth. So, also, to become a child of God (in a spiritual sense), you must experience a second birth. This is known as the new birth, or conversion, or being saved. It is through belief in the name of Jesus that we are born again…birthed into God’s spiritual family as sons, born of God. (based on Holman KJV Study Bible)

2. Receiving Jesus is a Personal Decision for Forgiveness.

Ephes. 1:7, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Have you made a decision to accept and receive Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? To “accept and receive”—that's all that's required for you to be forgiven by God, regardless of the nature, magnitude, or deep entrenchment of your sins.

To “accept” is to believe with your mind that what the Bible says about Jesus and His death on the cross is true—that Jesus died for your sins and He rose to give you new life in Him. To “receive” is to say, “I don't merely accept what Jesus did on the cross as a fact of history or as a statement of sound theology, but I accept His sacrificial death on the cross as being for me personally and individually—the sacrifice that was made for my sins. I invite the Holy Spirit to indwell me, to cleanse me of all my past transgressions, iniquities, evil, and sin, and to make me a new person in God's eyes. I receive the work of the Holy Spirit in me that gives me a completely restored relationship with my heavenly Father.” (Dr. C. Stanley)

3. Remember Salvation is based on God’s Mercy and Grace and not ours!

Titus 3:5-7, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

It is the Spirit who regenerates us and gives us new life when we trust Christ. We cannot save ourselves no matter how good, sincere, or diligent we are.

B.  GOD WANTS TO FORGIVE YOU RIGHT NOW.

Have you taken Him up on His offer? If not, will you accept and receive Jesus Christ today? Will you receive God's forgiveness?

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

C.  YOU CAN EXPERIENCE GOD’S SPIRITUAL BIRTH IMMEDIATELY.

You must consciously opt to place your faith/trust in Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection as the full payment for your sin. We acknowledge that God accepted Christ’s redemptive work by raising Him from the dead. Therefore, you must accept what God accepts as the fair and complete payment for our sins.

Consider what the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:14-18, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Each person must utterly depend upon Christ as the One who fully paid our sin debt. Thus, we believe the gospel of Christ—to believe means to trust Christ. We entrust our eternal salvation and forgiveness to Jesus Christ the Son of God without any reservations. You must believe on Christ Jesus who died in our place and for our sins!

Paul outlines in Romans 10:9-10, writing, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 

We cannot simply believe anything about Jesus or be forgiven for any reason, we must believe that the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and God raise Him up again the third day for our justification before The Father (1 Cor. 15:1-4 and Rom 3:21-31). It is vital that we understand that it is faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel that is the power of God that saves us that grant us forgiveness (Rom. 1:14-17). This is how we all experience God’s spiritual birth.

CONCLUSION: 

So then, what must we do to experience God's forgiveness? Accordingly confess your sin and accept God’s forgiveness by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Beloved, God can forgive anyone and everyone who will receive His forgiveness. No one and certainly no sin is beyond His realm of divine pardon. God is no longer angered over your sin or finally offended by your actions, flaws, mistakes, and sin. He offers forgiveness!  

Remember, Christ’s suffering at Calvary was God the Father providing payment for our sins. That’s what Calvary was about—justice was served, and sin was paid for entirely. Since then, sinners can be saved—born again to enter a spiritual relationship with God. Being born again means we become a part of a new family; God is our Father who shares with us His very own divine nature. Beloved, we must exercise faith in the Person and Work of Christ to experience the spiritual birth.

In closing, God wants you to experience thorough and full to the brim forgiveness today! Stop grieving about some sin you committed recently or even years ago, let God forgive you and release you today. Your situation is not unique and you are not beyond the scope of God’s forgiving power and grace. Today you can be set free from the bondage of living in guilt because God really can forgive that sin also! 

Refuse to continue life in unforgiveness which stifles a person’s ability to love and to receive love. No more stunting the growth of your marriage and friendships. Today you choose to enter into all that the Lord might have for you in the way of ministry or outreach. Start now to enjoy the full abundant life that Christ promised.  

Since He completely forgives you, He wants forgiveness of your sins and a comprehensive initiation of your relationship to Himself. God desires forgiveness of others who have wronged you, and, yes, forgiveness of yourself also. (Based on Dr. C. Stanley) What about you?  

God Uses Time and Trials

 

God Uses Time and Trials

1 Peter 2:2; Phil. 1:6; Ps. 119:67; Jam. 1:2-4

 

SUBJECT: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

THEME: regarding spiritual growth, God uses time and trials as instruments throughout our journey’s. Our responsibilities are to realize this and actively pursue Christlikeness.   

RELEVANCE: Unless we realize that spiritual growth requires time, we may think that our slow pace of spiritual growth is due to something inherently deficient or wrong in us. If we don’t understand that God often uses trials to make us stronger, we may conclude that God is punishing us or is angry with us for some reason we don’t understand.

INTRODUCTION:

We are always on the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things. -Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887)

       Every Fall the Monarch Caterpillar Crawls to the End of a Twig, Fashions a Meticulously Fabricated Cocoon Around Itself, Slams the Door, and Goes to Sleep. Some time later, something utterly miraculous happens. Out crawls a butterfly! Somehow, by some power hidden deep in the mysteries of nature, a fat, low-slung, many-legged, ugly little creature of the earth is changed into a light, sleek, brightly-colored, beautiful little creature of the sky. How it happens, or even that it happens, is one of the true glories of nature.

As We Probe into this Mystery, However, We Learn Some Startling Truths. If you walked past the low tree limb where the cocoon was attached at just the precise moment the butterfly began to emerge from its magic chamber, you would see a fearful struggle—a struggle that would rend your heart and make you fear for the butterfly's life. The butterfly pushes and pulls and wiggles. Then it falls back, exhausted. It repeats the process again and again until, finally, after long and agonizing labor, it escapes the cocoon.

As You Watched this Struggle for Life—as Indeed it Is, for if the butterfly does not get out within a certain length of time, it will die in the cocoon—you would be tempted to come to the butterfly's rescue, perhaps by taking some tweezers and enlarging the opening ever so slightly to let the butterfly out of his potential coffin.

Well-meaning as such a gesture would be, it would seal the doom of the butterfly. For the very struggle to get out of the cocoon develops the butterfly's ability to fly. If the butterfly does not struggle to get out of the cocoon, it is condemned to crawl the twigs, unable to fly, until it starves to death or becomes dinner for a waiting bird.

Both Time in the Cocoon and the Trials in Getting out of it Are Essential to Transform the Ugly Little Caterpillar into a Beautiful Flitting Butterfly. Time and trials are both necessary to transform a worm-like creature, condemned to inching its way along the underbrush of life, into a lovely-winged creature able to take to the Heavens.

The Natural Realm with Butterflies Parallels the Spiritual Realm with Children of God. God wants us to undergo continuous transformation from creatures of the physical realm to creatures of the spiritual realm, from creatures of the world to creatures of Heaven, from creatures of time to creatures of eternity. With our bodies on earth, God wants us to live with our minds on Heaven.

And just as it takes time and trials to transform a caterpillar into a butterfly, so it takes time and trials to transform a child of God from one whose interests, values, and affections center on earth to one whose interests, values, and affections focus on Heaven. -Max Anders 

In this Message We Will Emphasize That …

1. Spiritual Growth Requires Time, Just as Physical Growth Does.

2. Trials Are Used by God to Make Us Spiritually Insightful and Strong.

3. The Bible Gives Us Many Examples of Spiritual Leaders Whose Trials Eventually Produced Spiritual Maturity.

MESSAGE:

I.  WHAT GOD SAID ABOUT THE ROLE OF TIME IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

  The Bible teaches that spiritual growth requires time, just as physical growth does.

1 Peter 2:2, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

  A.  SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS SOMEWHAT RELATED TO PHYSICAL GROWTH.

In 1 Peter 2:2, the apostle instructs us “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” This relates physical growth to spiritual growth.

1.  We Grow Slowly Physically—and Spiritually.  Certainly, physical growth is automatic and Spiritual growth is more dependent on our cooperation with the Lord, but still growth takes place over time.  Growth is not instantaneous!

When I was twelve through seventeen years old, I drove myself hard to develop better artistic skills. I had inherited an artistic gene from somewhere, and I simply loved to draw, color, and paint. I drew at school and then again at home, I could easily spend an entire evening or a Saturday afternoon drawing, sketching, shading with color pencils, creating, and painting. For quite some time I was enamored with creating “superheroes” and extraordinary “hyperphysical freedom fighter quads” who vindicated right, fought for justice and truth, and who were fully equipped with transcending abilities and qualities. I would start with a concept and build it to a sketch and then elevate it to a mixed media drawing and then finally an acrylic painting!  I was always proud of my latest achievement, but I couldn’t wait to launch another project.   Then it was back to the drawing board in an all-out effort to surpass anything I had ever done before.

All of this was done with a corresponding love for the animated silver screen and a fascination with the adventures of comic books, where drawing and painting were valuable abilities. Developing a limitless imagination was an imperative if this was to be my future! But no matter how sharp my skills where, I always wanted to be better and reach higher goals. There was always a consuming desire to improve, refine, and achieve perfection.

The same was true spiritually when I became a Christian after my fourth year in the Air Force. As I look back on it, I experienced rather significant spiritual growth from the very beginning. But it never seemed enough. I was never pleased with how far I had come. I was always consumed with how far it seemed I had to go (Phil. 2:12-13).

    2.  But Any Growth Takes Time. Yes, while it is always appropriate to do the things that encourage maximum growth, like Bible study, prayer, disciplines, church attendance, and service to others, we must still be content with our present spiritual stature, or life will be needlessly troubling and frustrating.  Not merely passive patience, but still appreciating where God has brought you from.

B.  THE BIBLE REFERS TO GROWTH AS TAKING TIME.

   1.  The Lord Jesus Increased and Grew in Favor With God.

In Luke 2:52, we read that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”  He waited until He was thirty years old to minister. Growth over time.

   2. It Takes Time to Transform a Life and Renew One’s Mind.

In a similar vein we read in Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Growth over time.

   3.  It Takes Time to Plant, Water, and Reap the Increase.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul writes, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Growth over time.

   4.  It Takes Time to Develop and Become Fit for Spiritual Leadership.

One of the qualifications for a pastor, a spiritual leader in the church, is that he is not a novice or a new convert (1 Timothy 3:6). 1 Tim. 3:6, Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Growth over time. You cannot become holy in a hurry!

       5.  This Does Not Encourage Us to Be Lazy and Lacks with Our Growth, but to Face a Reality Connected with Spiritual Growth.  Philip. 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philip. 1:9-11, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; [10] That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; [11] Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

These verses encourage the pursuit of holiness and godliness, in conjunction with the reality that growth will take place throughout your spiritual journey in Christ on this earth.

II.  WHAT GOD SAID ABOUT THE ROLE OF TRIALS IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

The Bible teaches that trials are used by God to make us spiritually insightful and strong.

A.  A DAMAGING & HINDERING MISCONCEPTION ABOUT TRIALS.

One FALSE teaching says if you are in God’s will, you will not have trials. You will not have physical ailments, or financial difficulties, or relationship problems. It teaches that if you have enough faith, God will heal you of those things. It says that if you claim what you want as though it were already true, it will become true.

However, some of the fundamental passages in Scripture disclaim this teaching.

B.  A HELPFUL & PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF TRIALS.

   1.  The Lord Afflicted David to Mature Him!

Psalm 119:67, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.  

Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Psalm 119:75, I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

These passages teach very clearly that the Lord afflicted David for the purpose of maturing him. Thus, God was not angry, or punishing him; this is one way He grows us up in Christ.

    2.  The Lord Used Afflictions and Trials in Paul’s Ministry to Advance Man’s Perception of Christ and to Secure Renewal and Glory for Paul.  Part of the means used by God in this transforming, maturing, and renewing process is suffering (see 1 Peter 4:1, 13-14). We see also in 2 Corinthians 4:8–11 and 16–18 that Paul suffered tremendously:

         A.  The Fruit of Paul’s Suffering Was the Exhibition or Broadcasting of the Life of Christ.  Service for God through constant exposure to violence and even death for Jesus’ sake makes Christ’s life evident to the world.

2 Cor. 4:8-11, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. [11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.    

How can the world see the life of Christ when He is not personally or physically present in the world today?  The answer is that as we Christians suffer in the service of the Lord, His life is being manifested through our physical existence. When violence comes to a true servant of God, we usually think of it as a tragedy.  But in essences the suffering servant of God is freshly broadcasted for the world to see!

         B.  The Benefits for Paul Were Immediate and Eternal as He Suffered for Christ’s Sake. Paul compared the sufferings he had experienced, severe as they were (2 Cor. 11:23-29), to “light” and momentary troubles, pressures, and hardships. Though, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8, his hardships were “pressed out of measure” or far beyond his ability to endure, he said his coming “glory” … far outweighs them all! 

 2 Cor. 4:16-18, For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

                 1.  The Trials We Face Are Nothing in View of the Eternal Glory That Will Be Ours When We Are in Jesus’ Presence (2 Cor. 4:14) and would be like Him (1 Cor. 15:49; Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2).

This eternal perspective and hope in things to come sustained Paul during the temporary sufferings that marked his ministry. As he elsewhere reminded the Corinthians, the world and its present sufferings are passing away (1 Cor. 7:31). What is seen (the material) is temporary, but what is unseen (the spiritual) is eternal. The temporal will be replaced by a “crown of glory” that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:4), an “eternal glory” in Christ (1 Peter 5:10). Therefore, Paul said, believers should look not on what is seen but, ironically, on what cannot be seen. What the inner man “sees” surpasses what physical eyes see. -David K. Lowery, “2 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary

                 2.  Trials and Afflictions Are Certainly Beneficial to Believers!

1 Peter 5:10, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.    

                      A.  The Suffering Saint is Perfected.

Trials make the believer fit; they supply needed elements in our character to mature us.

                      B.  The Suffering Saint is Established.

Sufferings make Christians more stable, able to maintain a good confession, and to bear up under pressure. (Luke 22:32)

                      C.  The Suffering Saint is Strengthened.

Persecution is intended by Satan to weaken and wear out the believers, but it actually has the opposite effect.  It strengthens us to endure even more!

                      D.  The Suffering Saint is Settled!

This carries the idea of ‘foundations.’ God wants every believer to be firmly planted in a secure place in His Son and His Word!

QUOTE: “The inevitable suffering of the Christian life always yields the same blessed results in the character of believers; it will refine the faith, adjust the character, establish, strengthen and settle the people of God!” -Harry Lacey

     3.  Trials Produce Endurance, Endurance Produces Maturity.

Again, in James 1:2–4 we see: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

     4.  We Are Actually Following Our Lord’s Example When We Suffer for Doing Right.

1 Peter 2:18-21, Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. [19] For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. [20] For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. [21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

               A.  God's Will Includes Suffering, and Christ Left Us an Example by His Own Suffering. Verse 17 teaches that we may suffer for doing right. Christ suffered, we read in 1 Peter 4:1, and we should arm ourselves for the same purpose.

               B.  We Can Actually Glorify God in Our Sufferings.

1Peter 4:12–16 indicates that we can glorify God in our suffering, and finally in 5:10–11 we see that our suffering can result in strength and maturity.

   5.  We must Dispel the Notion That the Christian Life Does Not Include Suffering. Otherwise, it will distort our perspective, confuse us, frustrate us, and cause us to think something is wrong with us. Not only does the will of God include trials, it includes trials over time—you cannot have one bad day, and wake up the next day spiritually mature.

Someone once asked the president of his school whether he could not take a shorter course than the one prescribed. “Oh yes,” replied the president, “but then, it depends upon what you want to be. When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when He wants to make a squash, He takes six months.”

If you want to be a spiritual squash, you can make it in a hurry. But if you want to be a mighty oak, you must sink your roots deep and dig in for the long haul.

III.  THE EXAMPLES GOD GIVES OF THE ROLE OF TIME AND TRIALS

The Bible gives us many examples of spiritual leaders whose trials eventually produced spiritual maturity.

Perhaps the most vivid and heartening way to grasp this truth is to see it fleshed out in the lives of some of the giants of the Scriptures.

A.  NOTE SOME VERY GOOD EXAMPLES FROM GOD’S WORD.

    1.  The Example of Joseph.

 For example, God gave Joseph reason to believe that God was going to use him in an extraordinary way. Yet each time Joseph tried to do something right, circumstances backfired on him, and he paid dearly for it.

He tried to get his brothers to shape-up by telling them about the dreams he had. But the dreams indicated God was going to cause Joseph to rule over them. They didn't like that, and Joseph paid for it by their selling him as a slave.

He tried to do the right thing by resisting the advances of Potiphar's wife. She retaliated by having him imprisoned. He tried to do the right thing in prison, but the man he befriended forgot about him, and Joseph languished in prison for another two years. Finally, God plucked him out of the prison and set him over the entire nation of Egypt. -Max Anders

  2.  The Example of David.

In a second example, David was anointed by Samuel to be king over Israel fourteen years before he came to the throne. During that time, rather than living like a prince, David was running from cave to cave like a common criminal, trying to keep Saul from lopping off his head.

  3.  The Example of Paul.

In the New Testament, Jesus told Paul that He was going to use Paul to take the message of salvation to the Gentile world. Fourteen years later Paul set out on his first missionary journey. During that time, Paul sewed tents, lived in the desert, and endured unsatisfying experiences with Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.

Between the time that God gave Joseph and David and Paul those promises and the time He fulfilled them was at least ten years, and easily more. During that time, God put them through the types of experiences that developed in them the strength of character, the sense of right and wrong, the compassion for others, and the vision for the future that they would need as leaders.

What was true of the spiritual giants of the Bible must be equally true for us: growth takes time and it takes trials. We cannot become holy quickly or easily.

B.  NOTE SOME VALUABLE ENCOURAGEMENTS FROM GOD’S WORD.

     1.  Our Response to These Realities, Then, must Be to Cultivate Patience.

Hebrews 12:1-2, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Allow me to convey the account of another preacher regarding patience. Patience isn't one of the stronger virtues for most of us. I'm afraid my ultimate character was revealed at the age of four or five when someone told me that a peach pit was a seed, and that if I planted it, it would grow into a peach tree. So, I ran out to the sand box in the back yard and planted the peach pit. I waited anxiously until the next morning when I raced out to see my peach tree. But no peach tree had sprouted. In a fit of anger, which I remember clearly to this day, I ripped the peach pit out of the sand and threw it as far into the adjoining field as my chubby little fingers could throw it. I have been struggling for patience ever since. -Max Anders

The writer to Hebrews says that we must run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.  James 1:2-4, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

   2.  In Addition to Patience, We must Persevere.

Proverbs 24:16, For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Passive patience is not what is called for. Active patience fits the need. We will fail. And when we do, we must get back up and try again. The person is not a failure who falls down, but who refuses to get back up (Prov. 24:16). How many times? Seven times seventy or as many times as it happens—that is how many times God will forgive you, so that is how many times you must forgive yourself.

No one enjoys failure, but God can make failure the back door to success. He did for Joseph, for David, for Paul—and He can for us.

Conclusion:

Amy Carmichael was an English missionary to India in the first half of the twentieth century. She had a particular burden for children who were confiscated to use as temple prostitutes by the Hindu priests. An accident in 1931 left her an invalid, crippled with arthritis. She remained mostly bedridden for nearly twenty years.

From a human perspective, that is so hard to understand. How, why would God allow such a brilliant, talented, dedicated servant of His to become so crippled that she could no longer serve Him as she once did, and live out her life in pain and misery? Yet Amy Carmichael met her pain with God-given grace and made a wonderful impact on the world for the cause of Christ even from her bed of pain. She wrote many stories which have touched hundreds of thousands of lives. She let her adversity make her spiritually stronger.

Like Job, who lost all that he had yet did not curse God; like Paul who in spite of persistent prayer for relief lived with a “thorn in the flesh”; like many other of God's choice servants, Amy Carmichael submitted to the pain and suffering—and as a result was blessed and used greatly by God.

Out of her own furnace of trials, Amy Carmichael wrote a deep and moving poem about pain entitled, “No Scar?”

Hast Thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,

Hast thou no scar?

 

Has thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,

Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent

By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:

Has thou no wound?

 

No wound? No scar?

Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,

And pierced are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole: can he have followed far

Who has nor wound nor scar?

(Amy Carmichael, Toward Jerusalem, quoted by Russell Hitt in How Christians Grow 66)

We may shrink at the prospect of having to be wounded in order to mature. But we may all find grace and resolve in the words of Job, who suffered so greatly as a testimony to the grace of God: “When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Gold, mined from the ground, is often imbedded in dirt, rocks, iron ore, and mineral deposits. The refiner puts the mixed-up mess into a cauldron, where it melts under near white-hot heat. Since gold is so heavy, it sinks to the bottom, while everything that is not gold rises to the top. It is called “dross.” It is skimmed off the top until nothing is left but pure gold. Without the heat, there is no pure gold. That is what Job is referring to. When God has tried (refined) me, I shall come forth as pure gold.

Let me close with an insightful quote from C. S. Lewis:

Imagine yourself a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on.… But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of … throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. -Max Anders 

So, why is this Important to us?

If we don’t realize that time and trials are both needed to bring us to spiritual maturity, we may conclude that Christianity isn’t working for us, and quit. We may feel that God is angry with us, and give up because we don’t know what we did wrong.  If we don’t understand that God uses time and trials in every Christian’s life to makes us spiritually strong, we may wear out, burn out, or give up. We may miss the good that God wants to give us, because we don’t understand His ways.